256, Qionglin Banquet
256, Qionglin Banquet
When the sun sets and night falls, these newly-minted scholars arrive at the royal garden to attend the Qionglin Banquet.
Lu Mingfei sat down in the seat assigned to him. There were two people sitting in one seat, and the person sitting next to him was Young Master Fu Lianxin.
Zhang Lingxuan and the others were sitting at the next table. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't change seats, he would have wanted to switch seats with the person next to him and sit with Zhang Lingxuan.
However, he was also worried that if he suggested changing seats, Fu Lianxin would think that he disliked him, so it was better to mind his own business and just sit here.
The seats they sat in today were based on their ranking in the palace examination, so the higher their ranking, the closer they were to the front of the table. The lower their ranking, the further back they were to the back. Being able to sit in the front seats was a form of recognition and reward for them.
Over here, Fu Lianxin picked up his wine glass and took a sip. He then turned his body to look at Lu Mingfei, who was sitting next to him. After a moment of thought, he said, "I've read the essay you wrote for the palace examination. I'm convinced that I lost to you."
"It's just that we each have different views on the problem. There's no such thing as winning or losing. Isn't there a saying? There's no first in literature, and no second in martial arts?" Lu Mingfei didn't think he had defeated Fu Lianxin. If he didn't have the memory of an extra life, or if he came here from a world a thousand years later, he might not have been able to defeat Fu Lianxin.
Fu Lianxin shook his head. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he heard someone shout, "The Minister of Rites is here." He stopped talking and stood up with Lu Mingfei.
Upon hearing this, the other Jinshi candidates also stood up and looked towards the entrance. They saw the Minister of Rites walking towards them with a group of adults.
Seeing Fu Lianxin signaling him to come out, Lu Mingfei followed Fu Lianxin around the table, walked out from inside, and came to the front.
When the Minister of Rites and the other dignitaries came before them, they bowed and greeted the dignitaries: "Students greet the Minister and the dignitaries."
"Everyone, please excuse me." The Minister of Rites spotted the top scholar in the top scholar's uniform. He stepped forward to lift the hands of the top and second place scholars, then looked at the top scholar and asked, "You are the top scholar in the top scholar's uniform, Lu Mingfei?"
"I'm a student." Lu Mingfei replied with a slight bow.
"Haha, it's true that the young are to be feared. The young are to be feared." Seeing the young champion, second place, and third place, all three young men, the Minister of Rites couldn't help but stroke his beautiful beard and nodded several times, praising, "We in Great Yan are blessed to have young people like you."
The Minister of Rites turned to look at the grandson of the old Taifu family, smiled and nodded at him, his eyes full of admiration. Although the grandson of the Taifu family only won the second place this time, he was much more promising than the other descendants of his family. If this was his own grandson, he would wake up laughing in his dreams, but it was a pity that it was someone else's.
It's just that their old tutor, Mr. Fu, didn't seem very happy when he learned that his grandson only got second place.
Fu Lianxin knew that the Minister of Rites had recognized him, but it was not appropriate for him to acknowledge his uncle on such an occasion today, so he just bowed to the elder as a junior and did not say anything about reminiscing about the past.
"Everyone, please take a seat." The Minister of Rites also knew that this was not the time to reminisce with his nephew and grandson, so he waved his hand and asked his colleagues who came with him and the new scholars to take a seat.
But before they could sit down, they heard another voice, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived—"
"His Royal Highness the Second Prince has arrived—"
Upon hearing this, everyone who was about to sit down quickly stood up straight. These newly-appointed scholars followed the Minister of Rites and a group of adults to welcome the two princes.
"Your humble servant greets His Royal Highness the First and Second Princes."
"Everyone, please don't be polite." The eldest prince waved his hand and asked everyone to stand up.
The second prince followed beside the eldest prince, as if he was just there to keep him company, and did not speak a word.
"Thank you, Your Highness." The Minister of Rites stood up.
The adults and newly-appointed scholars behind them finally stood up straight.
The Minister of Rites invited the two princes to take their seats, gave up his original seat to the two princes, and sat down in the seat below.
After everyone was seated, the eldest prince raised his glass from the table and toasted to the officials and newly-appointed scholars below, saying, "Today, my father has sent me and my younger brother to attend the Qionglin Banquet on his behalf to congratulate all the newly-appointed scholars on their success in the imperial examinations."
The second prince beside him also picked up his wine glass. When the eldest prince was speaking, he always had a smile on his face, not stealing the limelight from the eldest prince at all.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, and thank you, His Royal Highness the First and Second Princes."
The officials below were seated, and the newly-appointed scholars all stood up, raised their glasses to express their gratitude to the emperor and the two princes.
"Everyone, please take a seat." The eldest prince raised his hand and pressed it down. His gaze fell on the first man in the first row on his left, the first one still wearing his top scholar's uniform. He smiled and asked, "I suppose this is our new top scholar this year?"
Lu Mingfei was about to sit down, but when he heard the eldest prince call him, he stood up and bowed to the eldest prince who was sitting on the upper seat, saying, "Your Highness, your humble servant greets you."
"Very good, very handsome indeed." The eldest prince looked at this year's new number one scholar with a strange glint in his eyes, and spoke with a touch of admiration and warmth in his tone, "I wonder if our new number one scholar is married?"
"I already have someone I like." Lu Mingfei replied.
"She's just the one I love. It's normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines. I have a few beauties here. I'll have someone send two of them to your house later." The eldest prince offered two beauties as soon as he opened his mouth.
"..." Lu Mingfei didn't expect to attend a Qionglin Banquet, and the prince would send him a woman. He simply didn't know what to say.
But he also knew that if he dared to accept the two beauties today, the prince at home would tear them apart and throw them away. Why bother making things difficult for the women?
Moreover, Lu Mingfei didn't want to have two other people's spies around him. If the relationship between him and Zhao Lang was known by the eldest prince and the emperor, and they also knew what he and Zhao Lang were doing, it would not only be Zhao Lang who would be in trouble, but he and his family would also be in big trouble.
So he had no choice but to politely decline the eldest prince's kindness. "I thank your Highness for your kindness. However, I have already made a promise with the person I love. He is the only one I will have in my life. There will be no one else."
"So, please, His Royal Highness, grant me your blessing."
"You are a rare romantic in the world." The eldest prince gritted his teeth and was very angry at Lu Mingfei's rejection.
At this moment, the Second Prince, who had been sitting nearby, finally spoke up, "Why are you so angry, my Royal Brother? Doesn't this just prove that our Lu Zhuangyuan is a single-minded person and will definitely be loyal to the court and the royal family in the future? He won't have any second thoughts, right?"
"Please take a seat, Mr. Lu. My brother was just joking with you."
"Thank you, Your Highness, the Second Prince." Lu Mingfei didn't expect the Second Prince to stand up and speak for him. After thanking him, he sat down in his seat. Then he quietly raised his eyes to look at the seat above, and saw the Second Prince looking at him.
Their eyes met, and he nodded slightly to the Second Prince.
The Second Prince picked up the wine glass on the table and raised it to him.
Thinking about how the Second Prince had just helped him out, he couldn't refuse his invitation, so he had to pick up the wine glass in front of him and respond to His Royal Highness the Second Prince.
When he saw the Second Prince, he also saw the First Prince sitting beside him. The First Prince was fat and had big ears, and he didn't look very smart. Perhaps because he had just rejected him, the First Prince looked at him with a bad look.
On the other hand, the Second Prince next to him looked much more reserved and low-key, and it was obvious at first glance that he was a very cunning person.
He had heard quite a few rumors about the Second Prince. The eldest prince was the son of the late Empress and came from the declining Rong'en Marquisate. However, some conservative ministers in the court proposed that the eldest prince, the eldest legitimate son, be made Crown Prince.
Behind this Second Prince are Concubine Wan and Prime Minister Wan. He is the most powerful prince and the one with the greatest voice to be chosen as the crown prince.
There are several adult princes under him, and there are some supporting forces behind them.
However, the other princes did not come today. Presumably, only the two princes who came were appointed by the emperor to attend their Qionglin Banquet today. The other princes who did not come did not come to avoid suspicion.
At this moment, Fu Lianxin next to him reminded him: "You have offended the eldest prince today. You must be more careful in the future. He is not a generous person."
"Thank you for the reminder." Lu Mingfei poured himself a glass of wine and toasted his tablemates. He was afraid that among all the people present, only Fu Lianxin dared to speak to him about the eldest prince in this way. However, this also proved that with the strength of the Taifu Mansion, there was no need to fear the eldest prince, the powerless son of the late queen.
And this also shows one thing, that is, the Taifu Mansion does not support the eldest prince to become the crown prince, otherwise Fu Lianxin, the grandson of the Taifu family, would not have commented on the eldest prince in private.
Fu Lianxin also raised his wine glass and clinked it with Lu Mingfei.
Just as they were clinking their glasses, Lu Mingfei heard the eldest prince sitting in the upper seat calling his name again.
"Today is such a good day, why don't we all write a poem and start with our champion Lu?" The eldest prince's gaze fell on the champion Lu, with a malicious light in his eyes.
"I think, why don't we all write a poem together and then compare it later. Whoever wins will be given this jade pendant by me." The second prince took off the jade pendant hanging on his waist and held it up to show everyone today's prize.
"You!" The eldest prince glared at his younger brother and asked in a low voice, "Do you really have to go against me?"
"What are you talking about, my royal brother? Didn't you ask everyone to write a poem? How come I'm the one going against you?" The second prince had a slight smile on his face, and there was no fear or retreat in his eyes when he looked at his royal brother.
The two brothers were arguing with each other in the upper seat. The officials and new scholars below were all watching, but no one dared to get involved in the fight between the two princes.
However, there are also some newly-minted scholars who are gloating over the misfortune in their hearts.
The Second Prince wasn't afraid of his brother. After silencing him, he raised his voice and proposed, "Since that's the case, let's have today's newly minted scholars write a poem. You gentlemen will be the judges and select the best one."
"Okay." The Minister of Rites nodded with a smile.
After seeing Shangguan's statement, the other adults nodded.
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